A change in the release date might have kept moviegoers away, but it didn’t stop some local ‘Trekkies’ from taking in ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’

May 17, 2013

MARSHALL - The premier of the newest "Star Trek" movie at the stroke of midnight on Thursday was poorly attended, but true diehard fans showed generations of loyalty.

"Star Trek: Into Darkness" is the latest in the iconic series beginning in 1966 of five live-action TV series, one animated show, 12 movies and hundreds of books.

The midnight premier was preceded by a two-hour special on Wednesday night on The History Channel about the impact of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry's vision on the lives of scientists and engineers who are creating the future they first saw on "Star Trek" as children.

According to Terry Jackson, manager of the Marshall 6 Theater, the premier was originally scheduled for Friday morning but changed without explanation two weeks ago. A middle-of-the-week premier after Southwest Minnesota State University students have gone home for the summer practically guaranteed a low turnout.

Attendees tended to be high school students who were introduced to the series by their parents, but a few were old enough to remember the original series when reruns were ubiquitous on television.

Jeff Dorman, 18, has been a Star Trek fan for two years.

"My dad introduced me," Dorman said. "He was a big fan, went to conventions and such."

Dorman said picking a favorite episode was tough, but he liked the one about the monster underground ("The Devil in the Dark") and "the one where Spock was on trial." ("Menagerie")

Colton Citrowske, 18, came from Balaton to see the premier.

"I watched the original series with my dad when he'd rent them," Citrowske said. "I watched 'The Next Generation.' I loved 'The Wrath of Khan' (movie)."

Myah Nelson, 35, watched reruns of the original series as a child and was barely old enough to catch "The Next Generation" when it was first broadcast.

"When I was a kid, I watched the original with my mom," Nelson said. "Then when 'The Next Generation' came along, I wondered how it was going to be as good, and it was so much better."

When director J.J. Abrams went back to the beginning and completely rebooted the original series with the next-to-last "Star Trek" movie, Nelson was skeptical.

"I waited till it came out on DVD, but I loved it, it was awesome," Nelson said. "I'm always a little bit skeptical because (series) 'Star Trek: Voyager' was awful and 'Star Trek: Enterprise' was terrible and most of the movies except 'The Voyage Home.'"

Nelson came by her love of the science fiction genre honestly.

"I was actually named for a character in a cheesy '70s SciFi series, 'Space 1999,'" she said.

Stephen and Julie Seward from St. Louis were visiting relatives in Marshall and took in the premier.